Goodnight, Starry Night: Bedtime poems inspired by works of art

(Hardback)

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Description

Snuggle up and ease your child off to sleep reading Joseph Coelho's lullaby-like poems. Lyrical, calming and beautifully illustrated, these peaceful poems are a magical way to end the day.

Written by award-winning performance poet Joseph Coelho, Goodnight, Starry Night is a collection of 14 poems that takes readers on a gentle journey into dreamland. Each poem is inspired by a calming work of art, reproduced in the book alongside the heart-warming illustrations of Allison Colpoys.

The book takes its title from Van Gogh's painting The Starry Night, which inspired Coelho's evocative poem River Sky:

I gaze upon the starry night
It twists into a river-sky
my every breath, a swirling light
I gaze upon the starry night.

It features poems inspired by David Hockney's Sleeping Dogs, Vivian Maier's Woman with Baby and Faith Ringgold's quilted artwork of Cassie Lightfoot flying against a night sky.

Joseph Coelho's lyrical poems calm the mind, relax the body and are soothing to the soul, and are guaranteed to inspire the sweetest of dreams.

Reviews

Art and poetry mix together for the greater (sleepier) good . . . Coelho's poetry is solid . . . A title sure to spur sleepiness, with appropriate verse to match.-- "Kirkus Reviews" (11/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)
This book beautifully connects poetry with famous works of art to create a landscape that supports positive sleep habits in young children . . . With each page, children are introduced to global art while being simultaneously lulled to calm by the dulcet tones of their caregivers' voices . . . Using repetition, rhythm, and select vocabulary, Coelho's poems will spark readers' curiosity and attention as they observe the artwork the poems are describing. Some verses can even be set to familiar lullaby melodies.-- "School Library Journal"

Author Bio

Joseph Coelho is an award-winning children's author, performance poet and playwright based in London. He is the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2022-24. Consultant Art Psychotherapist Mary Rose Brady has over thirty years' experience treating children and young people's mental health. Her expertise informed Goodnight, Starry Night which includes her advice for parents on how to facilitate a good night's sleep. Allison Colpoys is an award-winning illustrator based in Melbourne.